One-in-five eight-year-olds have their own smartphone

Almost one in five eight-year-old children now has their own smartphone, new research has found.

The study showed that the use of devices has grown at an unprecedented rate in recent years. Smartphones are seen as a 'must-have' by children of all ages due to peer pressure, social media and fun games.

The study, conducted by Halifax to learn how children spend their pocket money, found that children potentially spend nearly £500 (£487.24) of their pocket money a year on digital downloads, such as apps and in-game purchases.

'Invisible' money

When Halifax asked children in its survey where they think money comes from, one child said: "Money doesn't actually really exist as it's just numbers on screen really."

Giles Martin, head of savings at Halifax, said: "With more and more games, apps and music offered on smartphones, digital downloads are naturally becoming increasingly popular for kids to spend pocket money on.

"Although each download may seem fairly cheap, the costs can add up over the course of the year and their lack of 'physical' presence can make spending less visible."Parents could use this opportunity to spell out to their children how small amounts add up."

Smartphones are amazing inventions; we can connect to the world with a swipe and we believe that they do have their place in society – but only if they are used responsibly, especially by young children.

Online safety book Virtually Me is aimed at youngsters aged 10 - 14 and encourages them to better understand both the good and bad sides of the internet and social media. The book includes a set of activities for children to work through, which eventually leads them to creating their own personal guide to getting the best out of the internet – and doing so safely. If your child is spending a lot of time on their smartphone, and you think it could be affecting their confidence or that they might be subjected to online bullying, Virtually Me is a responsible way of communicating the dangers to them.

There's little doubt that technology has brought largely positive changes to modern life, but when it comes to young children using smartphones and being on social media, we need to be mindful that their experience is unlikely to be completely positive.